Spring-heel horseshoe.



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THOMAS CUSDIN, OF ARMADALE, VICTORIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN WILLIAM RICE, OF ARMADALE, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA.

SPRING-HEEL HORSESHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,605, dated November 26, 1901.

, Application filed March 28, 1901. Serial No. 63,216. (No model.)

This invention relates to a construction of horseshoe devised with the object of diminishing concussion and which consists of upper and lower members welded or riveted t0- gether or otherwise united at the toe portion or formed in one piece and divided by sawing or otherwise toward the heel in order to receive interposed elastic cushions of indiarubber or other elastic material, the said members and interposed cushions being securely united by rivets in such mannerlas to allow full play for the elastic components of the shoe. By this construction the rubber is protected from wear, and all the advantages of elasticity of tread and the consequent avoidance of concussion are obtained without, on the one hand, the disadvantage as regards want of durability which would result were the rubber to be applied on the tread itself or, on the other hand, the disadvantage of loosening of the nails fastening the shoe to the hoof and the injurious effects of rubber applied directly to the'sole ofthe hoof which would ensue were the elastic cushions to be applied between the shoe and the hoot'. Furthermore, the metallic tread of the shoe is better adapted to retain road detritus, which concretes in the cavities formed in the tread of the shoe and by its gritty character assists to prevent slipping. The invention will `berdescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein- Figure 1 represents a face view of the tread or under surface of the shoe which comes in contact with the ground. Fig. 2 is an outer side edge view of the shoe, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a crosssect-ion on line 3 3, Fig. 1,

v drawn to an enlarged scale; and Fig. tis a similar cross-section showing the effect of compression of the rubber cushion.

a is the upper plate of thin flat steel which comes next to the hoof, and b is the under or tread plate, made of steel of greater thickness wedge-shaped cushions c4 of vulcanized in-' dia-rubber or other elastic material forming a compound elastic shoe. The elastic pads are retained in place partly by downwardlyturned clips d, forged upon the upper plate a and embracing the rubber cushions at each side toward the heel end, these clips being wide enough apart to admit the heel of the under plate between them when the rubber is compressed. The rubber cushions are, furthermore, retained in position by rivets e, which pass through the cushions and whereby the upper and lower plates a, 1J are united in such manner as to permit the compression of the rubber cushions under the weight of the animal and of the plates springing apart again to a distance limited by the rivets as soon as the weight is removed. It is an especial object of this invention to permit of this elastic action of the plates and cushions without, on the one hand, any possibility of the rivets being forced upward through the plate a, so as to press against and injure the sole of the hoof, and, on the other hand, to avoid all liability of the rivets being bent or broken by contact with stones when, under the effect of compression of the cushions, the rivets are caused to work through and to protrude from the holes in the under plate Z7, through which 4they pass.

The elasticity of tread obtained by the use of the rubber cushions has the effect not only of diminishing concussion, but of increasing the durability of the shoe, and it is a further object of the invention to provide such a thickness of metal and such anv extent of wearing-surface for the under plate as will still further increase the durability ofthe shoev and insure a better foothold by providing for the retention of road detritus in the wearingsurface in such manner as to improve the foothold on slippery surfaces. With this object the under plate or member b is preferably made of uniform thickness, so as to pre- IOO sent a broad wearing-surface to contact with the ground. It has the usual crease or groove faround the outer edge, in which the nailheads are received, and may be slightly beveled at the inner edge of the forward portion of the shoe. At the places where the rivets e are to be inserted cavities g are formed in the under surface of the plate l), these cavities .being conveniently of half-round form in cross-section with straight ends, the depth ofthe cavities being not less than the maximum amount of compression of the rubber elastic working of the shoe.

In order to guard against the rivets being forced upward through andcaused to project from the upper plate a, so as to be liable to cause injury to the hoof, the rivets are of reduced diameter at their upper ends, so as to,

present shoulders, which bear against the under surface of the upper plate ci and cannot pass through the countersunk holes in the platc a in which the reduced upper endsof the rivets are riveted. The cavities g are made of just the necessarylength to accommodate and house the rivets, as described, and for the purpose of insuring a good foothold they may be supplemented by additional cavities 7L, of similar form, extending toward the heel ends in continuation of the cavities g, but separated from the latter by intermediate solid or bar-like portions t', the cavities h serving to gather road detritus, which concretes thereinand assists to prevent slipping. Nail-holes lo are formed through both the upper and lower plates.

' The rubber cushions besides aording elastion of shoe is applicable not only to shoes which are open at the heel, as usual, but also to what are known as bar-shoes, as well as to other special forms of shoe.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature ofthe said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isi 1. A compound, elastic tread horseshoe constructed of upper and lower members or plates a., b, united or formed in one at the toe and separated toward and at the heel by intermediate elastic cushions c, the two plates being united by rivets e shouldered and riveted at their upper ends to the upper plate a,

whereby they are prevented from movement in either direction through said upper plate and the lower plate being formed with cavities .in its under face in which the lower heads of the rivets are housed, said cavities being of a depth greater than theheads whereby-when by the compression of the cushions the rivetheads are caused to protrude into thecavities, the rivets will be protected by the adjacent walls or solid portions of the plate b from contact with the ground or with stones, substantially as specified.

2. A shoe substantially as described having the upper and lower plates and interposed cushion and having the lower plate provided with the cavities g to receive the rivets, and additional cavities such as h to receive and collect road detritus, the cavities 7L being separated from the cavities g by an intermediate cross-bar or solid portion 1l, substantially as specified.

3. A shoe substantially as described provided at its heel with upper and lower plates and cushions between the same and having downwardly-projecting side clips formed on the upper plate near its rearend and extended alongside of and adapted to laterally confine the rear ends of the rubber cushions the said cushions being free to expand rearwardly and also free to expand laterally throughout a major portion of their lengths. 

